African wild dogs are
highly social carnivores that live in packs. The difference in the
degree of sociality in wild dogs and wolves appears to be reflected
in resting patterns. The extremely social nature of wild dogs is
reflected in the maintenance of physical contact or relatively short
inter-individual distances while resting. Unlike wolves, they typically
disperse in groups. Lone dogs and peripheral pack members are rare.
Compared to wolves, aggression is generally muted. Cooperation is
the key to survival and reproduction.

Pack formation in wild dogs is a social process that
usually involves more than two individuals. Although the formation
of new packs affects both individual fitness and population dynamics,
and therefore is highly relevant to the conservation of this endangered
species, little is known about the process of formation itself in
the wild and the proximate mechanisms that influence outcomes.

Typically same-sex relatives emigrate and join opposite-sex
groups. Our observations in the field suggest that group compatibility
can influence whether stable reproductive units form. When opposite-sex
groups join, they undergo what has been termed a "trial courtship"
that may or may not result in the formation of a stable reproductive
unit. If a new pack does not stay together, it annuls. Any given
instance of pack annulment may be due to one or more causal factors
that vary both temporally and regionally. An analysis of resting
patterns suggests that spatial relationships mirror the relative
strength of social bonds and thus the degree of social integration
between females and males.

Reproduction

A pack consists of any
group of wild dogs with a potentially reproductive pair. Packs are
typically composed of related females, related males, and pups.
If a pack contains more than two adults, the reproductive pair consists
of the dominant male and female. Usually only the dominant pair
breeds and subordinate members help care for pups. The breeding
female selects a den site such as an abandon aardvark hole and contours
the underground chamber prior to giving birth. The average
litter size is about 8 pups. When pups are about three weeks
old, they appear above ground pug-nosed with black and white hair,
and small ears that readily develop to oversized proportions. Yellow
markings begin to appear at four weeks. Babysitters keep an eye
on them while other family members hunt and return to the den to
regurgitate food. Pups are moved to different dens during the season.
When pups are around 10–12 weeks old, packs resume their nomadic
way of life. By the time the pups are about 4 months old, as shown
here, they are already familiar with what is expected of them as
members of the pack.

Hunting

Although wild dogs will
hunt at night during certain phases of the moon, they are primarily
crepuscular—resting during the day and hunting in the early
morning and evening. They are one of Africa's most successful
hunters, a fact that has been attributed largely to their high
degree of cooperation. During chases, wild dogs can attain speeds
up to 60 km/h and are well adapted to deal with the body heat
generated. In more enclosed habitat, where wild dogs are more
commonly found, packs tend to split into groups during hunts,
with individuals taking down prey, and then leaving it to bring
back other pack members to feed. Unlike African lions, pups are
the first to eat. Spotted hyenas sometimes follow wild dogs on
hunts and try to steal food. Prey preferences vary regionally.

Vocalizations

The African wild dog has been
classifed among the most social of all canids. The study of vocal
communication has lagged behind other scientific concerns in this
socially complex carnivore. Its vocal repertoire is one of the most
complex in Canidae,
with some sounds unique to the species. The mixing of different sound
types is also found in this species and is used to express ambivalence.
Vocalizations provide a useful window on larger patterns of behavior,
particularly among social canids. Short-range vocal communication
accompanies many social interactions and appears to play an important
role in intra- and interpack dynamics, and in forming and maintaining
social bonds between pack members. Depending upon the motivational
state and level of arousal of pack members, sounds issued by individuals
can give rise to cascading group effects.

Preceding a hunt, pack
members often rally in a greeting ceremony. The onset of the greeting
ceremony is frequently initiated by a single dog running up to another
one with head shoulder height, mouth agape, and ears folded back.
Muzzle-to-muzzle contact is an important feature of the ceremony.
Such contact, including lip licking and biting, appears to be a
symbolic solicitation for food. Greeting behavior in adults might
have developed from infantile begging. During the ceremony many
different kinds of sounds can be heard including whines, whimpers,
squeals, and high-pitched bird-like sounds called "twitters."

Wild dogs hunt primarily
in the early morning or at dusk. When filtering through bush in
search of prey, pack members frequently become separated and sometimes
call to reunite. Long distance contact calls are common in canids
and assume the form of either pulsed trains or long acoustic streams.
Wild dogs issue the former kind of call. These sounds known as
"hoos" are low-pitched and short, and given in bouts
of varying length and intensity. They are delivered with the head
held slightly lower than the shoulders, a gaping mouth, and often
on the run. In contrast, wolves howl. These latter sounds are
issued in long acoustic streams by lifting the muzzle while stationary.